Another Beautiful Atom Ct

[Jack Gretz]

I usually do not post new guitars that arrive to us but the CTs being such a big hit has me wanting to share with everyone.

http://www.magdonmusic.com/guitars/Anderson/images/guitars/ATCTTFc.jpg

http://www.magdonmusic.com/guitars/Anderson/ATCTTF.html

[mbrown3]

WOOOOWWW! What a stunner! I love the mineral streaks. So cool...

[tom]

that's actually called worm track, you see it a lot in eastern hard and soft maple. that's the eastern slab sawn maple, very traditional looking. we're doing some with quartered western tops as well.

[toadcaller]

Absolutely stunning. I'm sure it sounds and plays even better than it looks!

[mdrs]

You're killin us, Jack. Just killin..............

That looks to be one sweet ride. Looks kind of familiar too!! ;)

Thanks for posting that, Jack.

[mdrs]

I went..........

I saw...........

And, it went home with ME!! :D

More to come...............

Thanks, Jack. And, thanks Roy, and Tom. You guys make one hell of a GREAT TEAM!! :cool:

[michaelomiya]

Don, she's beautiful! Congratulations!:cool: :cool: :cool:
mike

[mdrs]

Thanks, Michael.

The Atom CT is a stunning success. First, it's a beautiful guitar......flawless construction, excellent hardshell case.

The Atom CT means business!!

It plays as well as any Les Paul I've ever played. And, in some ways, it plays better. The very first thing I noticed as I plugged in and started to play it was that it has the feel of a Les Paul. The string tension and bendability are very much in the ball park with a Les Paul. You can play this guitar softly, and with nuance. But, you can also play it hard, and it not only holds it's own, but plays back nicely. The fret work is classic Anderson, and improves the playability of the CT significantly. The CT feels like a Les Paul with all the Anderson advances that puts this axe on top of the best of modern electric guitars.

The picks ups are really really GOOD. They have that fullness and ability to growl that good humbuckers will give you. But, the HC1-A and the HC1+A have an "openness" where even in their growl, each note of a chord is audible and articulated. It brought to mind Pete Townsend's concept of a clear distortion tone, that he got with minihumbuckers and HiWatts played thru Fane speakers. Did I mention that the pickups are really GOOD??

I really like the five way pu switch, with the in betweens having the ability to give series and parallel tones. The in between tones are intreging and very cool. I have to play with them more. Once I do, I'll try to post my impressions more throughly. I will say that I noticed that many of the tones were very nicely altered and tailored to my needs, by manipulating the tone knob on the CT, even more so than most guitars.

The only bad thing I can think of, is that I played my new CT so much yesterday, that I separated the nail from my fretting middle finger, and can't play comfortably......hey, where's that crazy glue???

I'll be spending a lot of time with this guitar, and will post more of my impressions as I gain more experience with it. I'll gladly answer any questions anyone might have.

Tom....I have a question for you. If you don't mind, could you explain the electronics in the CT? Specifically, can you tell us about the series/parallel switching, and how it works?

Here are some photos of my CT. First is a link to Magdon's where you can see the pics Jack put up;

http://www.magdonmusic.com/guitars/Anderson/ATCTTF.html

Here are some photos I took of the CT today....the sun was in and out of clouds all day. So, the color of the body may look different here and there. Also, note that the back of the neck has a "flamed" treatment, darker on the sides than the middle of the back....it's beautifully done, and adds a very classy touch.

http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m114/mdrs1/Electric%20Guitars/Anderson/IMG_1527.jpg

http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m114/mdrs1/Electric%20Guitars/Anderson/IMG_1535.jpg

http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m114/mdrs1/Electric%20Guitars/Anderson/IMG_1539.jpg

The braz fretboard is truly handsome;

http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m114/mdrs1/Electric%20Guitars/Anderson/IMG_1540.jpg

http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m114/mdrs1/Electric%20Guitars/Anderson/IMG_1544.jpg

http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m114/mdrs1/Electric%20Guitars/Anderson/IMG_1548.jpg

http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m114/mdrs1/Electric%20Guitars/Anderson/IMG_1550.jpg

[tom]

we played with splits like we do on the cobra, but the new pickups just didn't work well for that. the character of these guitars really does just work better with humbuckers, so we gave you the traditional 3 humbucker tones in pos 1,3 and 5. in pos 2 and 4 you get each pu in parallel instead of series giving you a lower output humbucker. we have another trick up our sleeve about the neck pu, and that will get revealed before too long.

[michaelomiya]

http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m114/mdrs1/Electric%20Guitars/Anderson/IMG_1535.jpg


Don, fantastic review. Makes me regret throwing down sooo many $$$'s for the LP HRI (Murphy R9) that I picked-up earlier in the year.

BTW, the view and vista from your property is truly breath-taking. Beautiful countryside view. :cool:

Not sure whether to continue to congratulate you for your CT or for your propertyline! LOL!!:D

[mbrown3]

I'll be spending a lot of time with this guitar, and will post more of my impressions as I gain more experience with it. I'll gladly answer any questions anyone might have.


I have a question: where are the clips?!? :D I'd love to hear one of these bad boys!

[pipedwho]

I have a question: where are the clips?!? :D I'd love to hear one of these bad boys!
+1. From all the reports that it sounds as good as it looks, I can't wait to hear it!

[Janine Doubly]

Oh, jeez...it just gets harder and harder to stay away from one of these :eek: ...Tom, the parallel option on the pickups makes me want to cry. Make mine a silver sparkle, with a Bigsby (I'd be happy to get with the Calton Folks for a case)!!

[tom]

if you order it, it will come.

[mdrs]

Hey Mike....thanks for the kind comments. The view is pretty nice from up here.......I live in the middle of nowhere, but it is pretty country.

I will try to get my recording gear "in gear"....I currently have it all broke down. If I can get my stuff together, I'll post some audio.

Thanks for that info about the electronics and the pu's, Tom. Will that new "trick" you are working on be amenable to a retrofit??

[tom]

yes, that's what makes it so trick.

[SonicGator]

Does the newest GOTW (CT Atom) have the new neck pickup "trick?"

[tom]

no it does not. but it could.

[bud]

no it does not. but it could.

If I didn't know better, I'd say you were being intentionally vague:)

[tom]

ah come on, would i do that?

[mdrs]

I had a chance to get a good bit of quality time with the CT today. I played it thru a "Wheels of Fire" RMC wah, a Klon and into a Cornford Harlequin MK1.

Can you tell that I'm still smiling? Well, you can take my word for it. I am.

This guitar is a very serious machine, and on MANY levels.

I played around with positions 2 and 4, which give you the neck and the bridge in parallel rather than series, resulting in a low output bucker tone.

These settings are really excellent. Putting the pickup into a low output parallel mode essentially gives you almost the same tone as whichever pu you are playing, but in a softer less loud version. It's very handy to use this to go from rhythm playing, and then flip the switch from, say, 4 to 5 and get the full growl of the bridge pu in order to play a lead. Of course going from 2 to 1 position does the same thing on the neck pu.

It's kind of like keeping the volume knob down on your guitar, then turning it up for a lead, EXCEPT that with this parallel to series set up, you get pretty much the same tone when going from rhythm (positions 2 and 4) into lead (position 1 and 5).

I hope some of that made sense to someone aside from me!! LOL

The "series/parallel" switching is a very handy addition to one's arsnal. You can still set your amp to crunch and use the volume knob on the axe to go from rhythum to lead. You can still use your OD pedals to do the same. And now you have a third option, with the benefit of going from rhythm to lead in essentially the same tone.

This is great stuff!!

Another striking thing is the tone on the neck pu. It's bluesy and versatile. The magical thing about it is that it's got that "dull thud" aspect to it's tone that many of the best LP's I've played have. It's a very classic LP tone, that I'm not sure I've gotten in any guitar aside from a Les Paul until my Atom CT.
I literally can't wait to open it up thru a plexi........I'll report back after I do.

Playing wise, this axe is a high performance machine....plays very very well. It's very responsive, with a great feel.

[Dave K]

I literally can't wait to open it up thru a plexi........I'll report back after I do.


This is the report I want to hear about! Crank that CT up thru a big amp and a 4x12 and tell me if it does wonders. ;)

[schofnsteen]

tom can you expand on this retrofit trick?

[tom]

i guess i'll spill the beans. i have an m1 under a full size cover on mine. it would allow people to change their mind after the fact and still have the guitar look right. i think i have finally decided that the m1 works best for me, but i did go back and forth with a the full size hb in the neck position.

[Janine Doubly]

That trick makes this an even easier decision. How does the cover affect the tone of the M1? Would an M1- make sense if you wanted more "air" on the top end?

[tom]

it's funny, i hear more of a change with the full size humbucker, maybe because there's less top to start with. the covered m1 is as close to the same as i can hear. i would only caution against the m1- depending on what bridge pu is used. is the dif is to big, the middle tone suffers. the m1 with the kickback is pretty cool.

[GaryMcT]

Nice! I like that you are keeping this stuff interchangeable.

Yup, can't wait to try a CT! My LP-ish tone guitar slot is empty at the moment, and I really want to fill it with something at some point.

[mdrs]

i guess i'll spill the beans. i have an m1 under a full size cover on mine. it would allow people to change their mind after the fact and still have the guitar look right. i think i have finally decided that the m1 works best for me, but i did go back and forth with a the full size hb in the neck position.

So Tom....am I correct in thinking that the M1 is a minihumbucker, and the HC1-A and the HC1+A that are in mine are full size humbuckers?

In going back and forth between the M1 and presumedly the HC1-A and the HC1+A , could you describe the differences, and also tell us why you personally went with the M1??

Thanks.

[mdrs]

This is the report I want to hear about! Crank that CT up thru a big amp and a 4x12 and tell me if it does wonders. ;)


So, I take a Marshall JTM 45 Plexi out to run the Atom CT thru it. I turn the amp on, the light turns on, it starts to hum, and then DIES!!!!! :eek: The fuse is fine, so something obviously went south.

So, I calmly (well, perhaps not so calmly) take out my other Plexi (another JTM 45), plug it in, and all I get is a very low dB sound!!! I quadruple check everything, and bottom line......IT WON'T WORK EITHER.

NOW I PISSED!!!! LOL

Needless to say, I can't report about how the CT sounds thru a plexi......yet. They are both going to a vintage amp guy in NYC curtosity of my bud, Eliot Jacobs....

So......................:mad: :rolleyes:

I did play the CT thru my JCM 800 reissue 100 watt thru a couple of 4x12's and it sounds nice. It sounded a little on the trebly side. But, I put on some old Cream and played along, and it fit in nicely. So, I'd say I'm very happy.
I'm going to be playing around with the Atom CT lots more, to see about finding the "sweet spot" with some of the big amps. The CT fit in PERFECTLY with the Cornford Harlequin, which is a very dark sounding amp....that match was wonderful!!


BTW.....I played my Koa HDT thru the Marshall too, and it sounded incredible. That axe continues to surprise me in a most pleasing way.

[Dave K]

I did play the CT thru my JCM 800 reissue 100 watt thru a couple of 4x12's and it sounds nice. It sounded a little on the trebly side.

Thanks for the report, Don.
When you say it was a little trebly, is it just brightness or lack of girth in the low end?
That's the main thing I miss in my regular old Atom. Plenty of chime and highs, but I'd like to hear more mahogany fundamental in it's tone. I'm hoping the CT has that LP chunk, without all the ergonomic and tuning woes.

Any CT owners out there using modern high gain amps and 4x12s want to weigh in? I'm real curious! :D

[mbrown3]

Thanks for the report, Don.
When you say it was a little trebly, is it just brightness or lack of girth in the low end?
That's the main thing I miss in my regular old Atom. Plenty of chime and highs, but I'd like to hear more mahogany fundamental in it's tone. I'm hoping the CT has that LP chunk, without all the ergonomic and tuning woes.

Any CT owners out there using modern high gain amps and 4x12s want to weigh in? I'm real curious! :D

Yep, +1000 for me. However, I also find that my (non-CT) Atom has something...else...going on (in the mids-area(s), maybe?) that gives it its own voice (something that I love), and I'm wondering if gaining the lower end LP chunk would mean losing that...other..."Atom"...characteristic. That's why I'd love to hear some sound clips or hear from some folks that can compare the two.

Of course, everyone's ears are different, but the thing I like best about my Atom is that it fits a tonal "niche" that none of my other guitars can replicate...and it can throw down some very cool sounds. But sometimes I find myself missing that low end "thunk" of a LP...I'd just want it in addition to the existing Atom character, and I'm not sure if that's even possible, or if the very existence of said thunk would be, by very definition, a removing/changing/shifting of that very characteristic that I dig so much on the original.

Thoughts from Tom or anyone else who's played both?

And, of course, "you'll just have to have both" won't be too helpful of an answer...although if I can get Tom to say it, that may help me convince the wife... :D :D :D

[tom]

"you'll just have to have both" there i've said it!
here's my take. the ct definitely has a deeperbottom than the regular atom. i did some listening the other night to just this thing. after playing the ct's for a few months, i thought it wise to go back to what i had before so i could see if i was missing anything. how many times have you sold gear and then realized you really did like it after all?
anyway, the atom did have more of the "something else" going on around the note. the ct has a firmness to the bottom that the atom does not have. of course the test was not totally fair. the atom had a bit hotter pickup in it. the ct did still have way more of the "something else" than the les paul did. the les paul is very one dimensional. lots of fundamental. for some that will be good, for some that will be bad. i think you have to weigh what you need any guitar to do. for me now, the ct does all the things i need a guitar to do when i have it equipped with an m1 in the neck position. unfortunately or maybe fortunately when i play i don't just get to be me. i have to cover lots of sonic bases and am quite surprised at how well i can do all this with this guitar.
so i probably didn't answer your question the way you want. my goal was not to remake a les paul, my goal was make a guitar with the criteria i listed in another thread. i'll try to look it up and repost it. right now i've got an all black ct to put together.

[Dave K]

Was any of the CT proto testing done with modern high gain amps and 4x12s at gig volume? Like loud? :eek:

[mdrs]

I'm still learning about, and getting used to the AtomCT. Tom has much more experience than I.

What I heard playing the CT thru my Cornford was BLISSFUL. The Cornfords I've played (Harlequin and Hurricane) both are very Marshallish, but darker and more on the low's or bass side. That seemed to suit the CT very very nicely, to my ears anyway.

The JCM 800 reissue that I've had for years, sounds GREAT with a Les Paul. Playing the CT thru it sounded to have less low end thickness. The CT sounded clearer and more edgy. And, I played it thru several different Marshall 4x12 cabs, including my "TV" cab which usually sounds very low down and adds bass.

So, my first impression was that it did not have some of what I like in a Les Paul.

But, then I cranked up some old Cream, and played along. And, playing along with that music, the CT actually sounded very good!! It's got the growl and attitude. The clearer tone of the CT might just be a big benefit in cutting thru the mix in a live setting. So, I sure NOT getting negative about the CT. I love this thing!!

I will continue to play it thru different amps and post as I do.

Tom....I may have burried this post on page two of this thread, so I thought I'd re post my questions again;

So Tom....am I correct in thinking that the M1 is a minihumbucker, and the HC1-A and the HC1+A that are in mine are full size humbuckers?

In going back and forth between the M1 and presumedly the HC1-A and the HC1+A , could you describe the differences, and also tell us why you personally went with the M1??

Thanks.

[tom]

dave, high gain yes, super loud, no. i don't hear delicacies when it gets that loud.
hc's are full size humbuckers with your hc1+ being the weaker edgier of the 2 bridge pickup choices. when i set my amp up i go for a great bridge pu sound. when i get that, neck humbuckers almost always sound too tubby for my use. so the m1 is clearer without an over loaded bottom. still plenty fat enough for what i need.

[mdrs]

Thanks, Tom.

So, I just finished putting the Atom Ct to the ultimate test...I played it thru my '65 blackface Fender Champ. No, I'm not kidding. That little Champ is the great equalizer. It is, pound for pound, the best amp I've played thru. And, the better the guitar, the better it sounds thru that Champ.

So, the verdict?

Atom CT sounded delicious and fantastic!!

The neck pu, which is a HC1-A is perfect for that classic PAF neck tone...perhaps a tad cleaner than a real neck PAF......but, who's to quibble?? Not I!! It sounds great.....think Sunshine of your Love.....and that's about where the neck pu is.

The bridge pu which is a HC1+A sounded great too. More bite, cleaner, but gutsy and plenty of character. For more aggressive rhythm, and for leads it's great. And, the low output tone (position 4) on the bridge was very very good for aggressive but slightly mellower leads.

One of the things that the Champ does is let the true tone and character of the guitar come thru. This Atom CT is sweet and chimey.....the things got soul!!

O.K.. So, I'm in love. Sue me. :cool:

[Janine Doubly]

The last question I have, more out of curiosity, is, what does the push/pull tone knob do on the Atom CT? If I am guessing right, pos 1,3,5 do the classic full HB stuff with the coils in series and pos 2,4 do the bridge and neck in parallel. So, am I to assume tone knob out is both pup's coils parallel, and both pup's combined in parallel, in phase?

[mdrs]

The AtomCT does not have a push pull. I think that Tom said that he didn't like the way these pu's sounded split????

[mbrown3]

I think it is possible to get the kick back though (for the pickups that are "weak" enough), isn't it?

[mdrs]

Positions 2 and 4, on the five way pu selector give you the neck or the bridge pu in parallel, rather than series. That makes them a lower output humbucker, and slightly mellows the tone. I think that is what Roy referred to as "kickback" on that NAMM video, if I remember correctly.

[mbrown3]

The kickback on my Atom is a separate circuit that "kicks back" all of the settings of the weaker pickups (in my case, M1 M1 H2) to make them sound more like single coils than a normal split humbucker would. It's not a series/parallel switch. The push/pull on the CT might be wired to do series/parallel, but that's not the same as kickback, from what I understand...

[schofnsteen]

My BLacktop CT Atom has the push/pull tone knob! On the spec card it is printed for series/parallel.

[mdrs]

My BLacktop CT Atom has the push/pull tone knob! On the spec card it is printed for series/parallel.

Does your CT have the 5 way pu switch?

Maybe Tom could correct me, as I could be wrong here. I thought that the position 2 and 4 put the pu's into parallel running them at low output mode.

So, I guess your push/pull probably does split the coils, giving you single coil tone???

My CT doesn't have the push/pull, which is O.K. with me, as that's what I was looking for....a humbucker LP like axe.

I continue to find lots of subtle tone "tweeks" that this CT has in it. The parallel setting, and playing around with the volume and tone knobs really makes a big difference in the tones you can achieve. This guitar is like a palette of tones just waiting for you to pull out of it.

[tom]

ct's equipped with HC's have parallel in pos 2 and 4 with no pp tone pot. ct's with hotter pickups like that beautiful black beast have split in 2 and 4 and have a pp to split in pos 3, like a regular atom or cobra. still working on a kick back that is effective on a neck humbucker, but are not there yet.

[dankayaker]

In pictures it appears as if the volume knob on the CT is farther away from the pickup than on the Cobra or regular Atom . . .is this correct ?

[tom]

yes it is. it is about 3/4" further from the high E, and about 1/2" closer to the butt of the guitar.

[mdrs]

I thought I'd post after having lived with my Atom CT for a month.

It's still love. :cool:

This guitar is SOLID. Great action, and playability. Even compared to other Andersons, this one is a solid performance machine. Playing it instills a confidence.....it's made for playing.

I like the tones it makes a lot. I'm a very traditional guy, and still really measure guitars against my idealized Strat and LP tones. So, there are times where I'll want one of my Strats or LP's. But, while I love those traditional tones, I still wanna reach for the CT...............

This guitar is really throughly modern....good tones, with good variety. It's more neutral, and really lets your amp/effects shine. This guitar will growl, yet let you hear each string.........no muddy mess here. The clarity of the pu's is striking.

My 20 yo son, who's playing in a HOPEFULLY up and coming band simply loves the CT to death.

The CT represents a serious, solid, throughly modern rock and roll tool, with unsurpassed playability.

This sucker means business.

[dave]

are we likely to see a hollow/semi-hollow version any time in the future?

[tom]

possible. i did one already, and honestly it looses the hugeness that the solid one has. it may be a viable guitar, but it would certainly have a different sonic footprint.

[mdrs]

I'm definately into HUGENESS



http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m114/mdrs1/Electric%20Guitars/Anderson/IMG_1535.jpg

[dave]

possible. i did one already, and honestly it looses the hugeness that the solid one has. it may be a viable guitar, but it would certainly have a different sonic footprint.
how interesting......and, possibly, tempting!! I love my (old style) solid atom, but am finding it is increasingly second choice to my hollow SA classic, for some (inexplicable) reason.

[DrPartagas]

Love Jack's posted photo of the Atom CT on top of page 1. What color is it? Honey burst?

[SonicGator]

Love Jack's posted photo of the Atom CT on top of page 1. What color is it? Honey burst?


It's Tobacco Fade.

On another note, I took an Atom CT for an acoustic Test Drive yesterday for the first time and am sincerely impressed (had a plane to catch out of Memphis, but stole a quick couple of minutes on my way to the airport). Nice thick LP like body, but a playability of a TAG. Kudos Tom on another fine model.

[DrPartagas]

I am preparing to order a CT. Undecided between Tobacco Fade and Honey Burst. Which color would look classiest or best in your opinion for such an elegant guitar? I havent seen the honey burst yet. Perhaps some of you might have a better point of reference in order to help me decide.

[SonicGator]

I am preparing to order a CT. Undecided between Tobacco Fade and Honey Burst. Which color would look classiest or best in your opinion for such an elegant guitar? I havent seen the honey burst yet. Perhaps some of you might have a better point of reference in order to help me decide.

Those colors seem pretty close to me. Here is an Atom(non-CT) in Honey Burst:


http://www.andersonguitars.com/images/guitarImages/07,15,2005_12-29-19.jpg

Either color would look great on the CT and they appear so close to each other that I don't think you could go wrong either way.

[mdrs]

Roy sent me a bunch of pics of an Atom CT in cherry burst....it basically has the classic Gibby Burst appearance. It was a beauty!!!

I had a buddy over today from out of town. He's a guitarist, and I'd sent him photos of my Tobacco fade CT. I opened the case to hand it to him to play, and he literally started to giggle, saying "the pictures don't do this guitar justice, it's amazing."


Here is one of the pics Roy sent me;

http://www.andersonguitars.com/customcontent/06-14-08N_body_a.jpg

[Mott]

It's Tobacco Fade.

On another note, I took an Atom CT for an acoustic Test Drive yesterday for the first time and am sincerely impressed (had a plane to catch out of Memphis, but stole a quick couple of minutes on my way to the airport). Nice thick LP like body, but a playability of a TAG. Kudos Tom on another fine model.

I've played that same one a few times. :)

I know which one because it's the only one in Memphis.

[DrPartagas]

I'm on the last stage of preparing an order. I love the uncovered look aesthetically.However, I'm not sure if I should choose the covered variety for the sound that will flow from the guitar.

I will play with buddies, not a band, diverse music, no shredding, no hard rock.

What would you choose?
I need some perspective from veteran guitar builders and players.

Thanks...

[tom]

that's a tough question. of course they look different and the allure of the cover is strong. the uncovered pickup is a bit more open sounding with a bit more high top end. if you were leaning towards more delicate sounds, i'd leave the covers off. if you're rocking and want the most cut through possible, the covers stay.

[TonyG]

It was interesting to re-read this post while I wait patiently for my new Atom CT to depart from sunny California and arrive at its new home in wet and windy Northern England.
My CT was ordered with "kickback" on the new HC pickups (HC1-/HC2). Tom has been working on "kickback" for the new pups for a little while and when it is ready it will be interesting to hear Tom's views on the tonal differences between the "kickback" option as opposed to the series/parallel option, which has been used on CT's with the new pups to the present time.
Tonal differences aside, I just wanted to ask what physical differences there are between the Atom and Atom CT. Obviously there is the carved top, and I see , from this thread that the volume knob is in a slightly different position. Is the CT a thicker body to get nearer to the LP mass? If so, how much bigger? My Atom has the original wrap-aound bridge. Does the Tone-pros set up on the CT make a difference? Have I missed any other physical differences?

[tom]

the back on the ct is about the same thickness as the whole atom body and then the thicker top is on that. there is more neck angle to allow for the carved top. the knob is in about the same spot. the 5 way is moved a bit closer to the edge of the body. the recessed tunamatic puts the strings actually closer to the top of the body in the center. all that adds up to quite a different sounding guitar. can't put mine down.i keep taking other guitars along to the gig but they never get past the first few songs.